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Illinois Route 171

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Illinois Route 171 marker

Illinois Route 171

Map
IL 171 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained byIDOTandCDOT
Length38.61 mi[1](62.14 km)
Existed1946[2]–present
Major junctions
South endUS 6inJoliet
Major intersections
I-355 TollnearLockport
US 12/US 20/US 45inWillow Springs

I-294 TollinJustice
I-55inSummit
US 34inLyons

I-290/IL 110 (CKC)inMaywood
I-90inChicago
North endIL 72in Chicago
Location
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountiesWill,Cook
Highway system
←IL 170→I-172

Illinois Route 171(IL 171) is a 38.61-mile-long (62.14 km) north–south state highway in northeasternIllinois.It runs fromU.S. Route 6(US 6) inJolietnorth toIllinois Route 72at theChicago–Park Ridgeborder.[1]The section of IL 171 onArcher Avenuefrom Joliet to Summit is historically significant, originating as a Native American trail, and later serving for a time as part of the first numbered highway betweenSt. LouisandChicago.

The current Illinois Route 171 incorporates part or all of previousIL 4,IL 4A, and IL 213.

Route description

[edit]
Scenic section of IL 171 in thePalos Forest Preserve

IL 171 is mostly two lanes wide from Joliet to Willow Springs, and then four lanes wide to its northern endpoint in Chicago. It is a four-lanefreewayfor about 2 miles (3.2 km), from its intersection with West 55th Street and Archer Avenue in Summit, to its intersection with West 44th Place in Lyons.

Joliet to Lockport

[edit]

IL 171 begins in Joliet as Collins Street, at an intersection with US 6 which is East Jackson Street. On its way out of town, it passes the historicJoliet Correctional Center,used as a location in several television shows and movies includingThe Blues Brothers.[3]From Joliet to Lockport, it parallels theDes Plaines River,andIL 53(which had formerly beenUS 66) on the other side of the river. It passes through historic DowntownLockportas State Street, intersectingIL 7at 9th Street.

Lockport to Summit

[edit]
Northbound IL 171 inWillow SpringsapproachingUS 12/US 20/US 45andI-294
Main article:Archer Avenue

On the north side of Lockport, IL 171 bends northeast onto Archer Avenue. It intersectsInterstate 355(I-355, Veterans Memorial Tollway) just south ofLemont.At the community ofSag Bridge,it is joined byIL 83,and the two routesrun concurrentlyfor about one mile (1.6 km) to cross theCalumet Sag Channelon the Archer Avenue Bridge.[4][5]The two routes split again immediately north of the bridge, as IL 83 continues north while IL 171 resumes its northeastward course, passingSt. James at Sag Bridge Church and Cemetery,listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[6]It then makes a scenic passage through the Palos Division[7]of theForest Preserve District of Cook County,a very large natural preserve. Leaving the forest preserve, it passes through the village ofWillow Springswhich was built strung out along the road. IL 171 has a complex interchange withUS 12/US 20/US 45(LaGrange Road) andI-294(Tri-State Tollway) on the border between Willow Springs andJustice.At this point, it begins to parallel two roads to the east,Illinois Route 43andIllinois Route 50.It will parallel these two roads for the rest of its route. It continues northeastward through Justice, passing Bethania and Resurrection Cemeteries. It then passes through small sections ofBridgeviewandBedford Parkon its way intoSummit.

Summit to Chicago

[edit]
IL 171 approaching IL 72 in Chicago
Main article:1st Avenue (Chicago)

At an intersection with West 55th Street in Summit, IL 171 bends sharply to the north, becoming afreewayfor about two miles (3.2 km), crossing theIllinois and Michigan Canal,theChicago Sanitary and Ship Canal,theStevenson Expressway(I-55), and theDes Plaines Riverat acloverleaf interchangewhose ramps had to be built as bridges over these watercourses due to their close proximity to I-55. It then entersMcCookand has interchanges with Joliet Road (Historic US 66), and West 47th Street at the border between McCook andLyons,before the freeway ends at West 44th Place in Lyons. Continuing as First Avenue, IL 171 intersectsUS 34atOgden Avenue,and passes to the east ofBrookfield ZooinBrookfield.Continuing north intoMaywood,it passesLoyola University Medical Centerbefore intersectingI-290(Eisenhower Expressway). It continues north throughMelrose Parkwhere it intersectsIL 64at North Avenue, andRiver Grove,where its name changes to Thatcher Avenue. At West Belmont Avenue, it enters theCity of Chicago,becoming North Cumberland Avenue, at 8400 West in theChicago address system.It intersectsIL 19at Irving Park Road. A half-mile further north, it enters the village ofNorridgefor just over one mile. It then has a cloverleaf interchange withI-90(Kennedy Expressway) before ending atIL 72(Higgins Road), at the border between Chicago andPark Ridge,nearO'Hare Airport.

History

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Before automobiles

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The route followed by IL 171 from Joliet to Summit was originally a Native American trail.[6][8]It can be found on a map from 1837.[9]This original trail continued northeast beyond Summit around the southern shore of historic Mud Lake as a dry land route past the marshyChicago Portage,ending where Downtown Chicago is now. This ancient trail is known today asArcher Avenue.

Original S.B.I. 171

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Illinois State Bond Issue Route 171 (S.B.I. 171) was established in 1924 in the northwestern part of the state, and ran fromThomsontoS.B.I. 78,along what is now called the Argo-Fay Route. This first IL 171 appeared on maps starting in 1929,[10]but was gone by 1931 and never reappeared on this alignment.[citation needed]

Original S.B.I. 4

[edit]

The first road from Joliet to Chicago was shown as "Lone Star Route" on early road maps.[11]In 1924 S.B.I. 4 was designated as the first numbered route fromSaint LouistoChicago.From Joliet to Lyons, the original S.B.I 4 followed the route of modern IL 171, alongArcher Avenue,except for a jog through Lemont on State and Main streets to bypass an unpaved section of Archer Avenue. It then rejoined Archer Avenue at Sag Bridge.[11] At Summit, the original S.B.I. 4 continued along the modern alignment of IL 171 north to Lyons, where S.B.I. 4 turned east on Ogden Avenue towards Chicago.

Routes 4A and 213

[edit]

In 1926, a new alignment for the Saint Louis to Chicago through highway was opened as IL 4 on the northwest side of the Des Plaines River from Joliet to Lyons. This new alignment would later become US 66 and then I-55. Its previous alignment on Archer Avenue was renumbered as IL 4A.[12]By 1932, Archer Avenue was completely paved, so IL 4A no longer detoured through Lemont.[13]

In 1934, IL 4A was extended east into Chicago along 55th Street and Garfield Boulevard to South Park Boulevard (now calledMartin Luther King Jr. Drive), where it turned north to end at Leif Erickson Drive (now calledLake Shore Drive), which was US 12/US 20/US 41at the time. This 1934 endpoint was roughly at the site of today'sMcCormick Place.[14]

The next year, the 1935 map shows that the section of former IL 4A from Summit to Lyons had been designated as IL 213. It also shows IL 4A truncated to the intersection of Garfield Boulevard and South Park Boulevard, which had been designatedUS 330.[15]By 1939 IL 4A had been rerouted from 55th Street, more directly into Downtown Chicago on Archer Avenue.[16]In 1935, IL 4, IL 4A's parent route, was truncated to end at Springfield, having been replaced by US 66 from Springfield to Chicago. This left IL 4A from Joliet to Chicago as an odd remote orphan of its Downstate parent route until it was eliminated in 1967.[15][17]

Modern Route 171

[edit]

In 1946, IL 213 was renumbered IL 171, still connecting IL 4A in Summit to US 34 in Lyons. This is the first appearance of the modern IL 171.[2]In the mid-1960s, as part of the construction of the newStevenson Expressway,IL 171 was upgraded to a freeway between Summit and Lyons, including its interchange with I-55. In 1967, IL 4A was eliminated, and its section between Joliet and Summit became a southern extension of IL 171.[18]In 1998, IL 171 was extended northward through several suburban communities and the Northwest Side of Chicago, crossing I-290 and I-90, to end at IL 72 (Higgins Road) on the border between Chicago andPark RidgenearO'Hare Airport.[19]

Claims of supernatural occurrences

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The main gate of Resurrection Cemetery on Archer Avenue, reputedly the home ofResurrection Mary

The section of IL 171 on Archer Avenue between Sag Bridge and Justice is reputed to be haunted. There have been reports of ghostly monks in the cemetery atSt. James at Sag Bridge Churchsince the mid-1800s; in 1977 police are said to have chased a group of them into the cemetery.[20][21]Avanishing hitchhikerknown asResurrection Maryis said to ask for rides between theWillowbrook Ballroomin Willow Springs and Resurrection Cemetery in Justice - and then disappear into the cemetery.[22]

Major intersections

[edit]
CountyLocationmi[23]kmDestinationsNotes
WillJoliet0.000.00
US 6(Jackson Street / Collins Street) toUS 30		Southern terminus
Lockport4.16.6IL 7(9th Street) /I&M Canal PassagewestSouth end of I&M Canal Passage overlap
5.08.0I&M Canal Passageeast (New Avenue)North end of I&M Canal Passage overlap
7.411.9
CR 37east (143rd Street)
8.113.0
I-355 Toll(Veterans Memorial Tollway) – Southwest Suburbs, West Suburbs		I-355 exit 7
Homer Township8.613.8I&M Canal Passagewest (135th Street)South end of I&M Canal Passage overlap
CookLemont9.014.5I&M Canal Passageeast (State Street)North end of I&M Canal Passage overlap
Sag Bridge13.822.2
IL 83south (111th Street)		South end of IL 83 overlap
14.623.5
IL 83north (Kingery Highway)		North end of IL 83 overlap
Willow Springs20.132.3US 12/US 20/US 45(La Grange Road)Interchange
Justice20.633.2

I-294 Tollsouth (Tri-State Tollway) –Indiana		Access to southbound I-294 only
20.733.379th StreetInterchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance
Summit24.238.9Southern end of the freeway section at West 55th Street/Archer Avenue
24.940.1I-55(Stevenson Expressway) –Chicago,St. LouisI-55 exit 282
McCook25.541.0Historic US 66(Joliet Road)
Lyons26.142.0West 47th Street
26.442.5Northern end of the freeway section at West 44th Place
26.843.1US 34(Ogden Avenue)
Maywood30.849.6
I-290/IL 110 (CKC)(Eisenhower Expressway)		I-290 exit 20
Melrose Park33.353.6IL 64(North Avenue)
Chicago36.458.6IL 19(Irving Park Road)
38.562.0

I-90(Kennedy Expressway) toI-190west –Chicago,O'Hare,Rockford		I-90 exit 79
38.662.1IL 72(Higgins Road)Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi


References

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  1. ^abIllinois Technology Transfer Center (2007)."T2 GIS Data".Illinois Department of Transportation.RetrievedJanuary 3,2009.
  2. ^abIllinois Road Map(Map). c. 1:950,000. Cartography byRand McNally.Illinois Automobile Department. 1946.RetrievedMay 26,2012.
  3. ^Joliet Visitors Bureau."In The Movies".RetrievedJune 27,2012.
  4. ^Illinois Department of Transportation."Bridge Information: Structure Number 160427".Archived fromthe originalon January 16, 2014.RetrievedSeptember 2,2012.
  5. ^Holth, Nathan."Archer Avenue Bridge".HistoricBridges.org.Self-published.RetrievedJune 4,2013.
  6. ^abStaff."Parish History".Historic St. James at Sag Bridge.RetrievedMay 26,2012.
  7. ^Region 6 Map of Natural Areas & Activities(PDF)(Map).Forest Preserve District of Cook County.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on October 21, 2012.RetrievedMay 26,2012.
  8. ^Gurlacz, Betsy (2005)."Justice, IL".Encyclopedia of Chicago.RetrievedMay 26,2012.
  9. ^Map of 1837 Illinois with "Proposed Improvements"(Map). Illinois Genealogy Trails.RetrievedMay 26,2012.
  10. ^Official Illinois Highway Map(Map). c. 1:950,000. Cartography by James T. Igoe Company. Illinois Automobile Department. 1929.RetrievedMay 26,2012.
  11. ^abIllinois Official Auto Trails Map(Map). c. 1:950,000. Cartography by Rand McNally. Illinois Automobile Department. 1924.RetrievedMay 26,2012.
  12. ^Illinois Official Auto Road Map(Map). c. 1:950,000. Cartography by Rand McNally. Illinois Automobile Department. 1926.RetrievedMay 26,2012.
  13. ^Official Illinois Highway Map(Map). c. 1:950,000. Cartography by James T. Igoe Company. Illinois Automobile Department. 1932.RetrievedMay 26,2012.
  14. ^Official Road Map Illinois(Map). c. 1:950,000. Cartography by Rand McNally. Illinois Automobile Department. 1934.RetrievedMay 26,2012.
  15. ^abOfficial Illinois Road Map(Map). c. 1:950,000. Cartography byH.M. Gousha.Illinois Automobile Department. 1935.RetrievedMay 26,2012.
  16. ^Illinois Road Map(Map) (1939–40 ed.). c. 1:950,000. Cartography by Rand McNally. Illinois Automobile Department. 1939.RetrievedMay 26,2012.
  17. ^"Route Numbers to be Changed".The Daily Sentinel.February 7, 1967. p. 8.RetrievedMay 7,2018– viaNewspapers.com.Open access icon
  18. ^Illinois Official Highway Map(Map). 1:772,500. Cartography by Rand McNally. Illinois Division of Highways. 1967.RetrievedMay 26,2012.
  19. ^Illinois Highway Map(Map) (1999–2000 ed.). 1:762,500. Illinois Automobile Department. 1999.RetrievedMay 26,2012.
  20. ^Hucke, Matt (1996)."St James - Sag Bridge".Graveyards of Illinois.Self-published.RetrievedMay 26,2012.
  21. ^Taylor, Troy (2002)."Haunted Archer Avenue".Weird & Haunted Chicago.Self-published.RetrievedJune 4,2013.
  22. ^Taylor, Troy (2012)."Resurrection Mary".Weird & Haunted Chicago.Self-published. Archived fromthe originalon October 18, 2018.RetrievedMay 26,2012.
  23. ^Google(March 10, 2017)."Overview Map of IL 171"(Map).Google Maps.Google.RetrievedMarch 10,2017.
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